NFL

RB Randle happy in Dallas despite sliding in draft

IRVING, Texas (AP)

Joseph Randle had to wait 151 picks to hear his name during the
NFL draft.

The former Oklahoma State running back has almost no chance to
start for the Dallas Cowboys because of DeMarco Murray, the
Oklahoma Sooner in front of him on the depth chart.

So maybe he regrets bypassing his final college season to trade
one set of Cowboys for another. Or maybe not.

''A lot of teams passed up on me, but it's all good,'' Randle
said. ''I'm just going to try to make the best of the situation I'm
in. I can't really be in a better situation, so maybe the wait was
worth it.''

Randle says that because the Cowboys are starting to believe in
the ''two-back league'' theory. And that's partly because Murray
has missed nine games with injuries since he rushed for a
franchise-record 253 yards in his first start in 2011.

Murray broke an ankle seven weeks after his sparkling debut and
missed the final three games. He was sidelined six games last year
with a sprained foot, which played a role in Dallas having its
worst rushing season in the 16-game era.

When the Cowboys went weeks without re-signing former
first-round pick Felix Jones this offseason, it became clear the
draft was a likely place for an addition. Randle was still sitting
there in the fifth round last month, and he joins a pair of
undrafted holdovers in Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar behind
Murray.

''I've never really been a true starter, even though I was a
starter,'' Murray said. ''Coming from Oklahoma and even since I've
been here, I've started but Felix was always here and things like
that. I'm excited for the new kid. I'm excited for Lance Dunbar and
Phillip Tanner. Those guys definitely have worked hard and earned
themselves a shot at playing time next year.''

Randle rushed for more than 2,600 yards and 38 touchdowns his
final two seasons at Oklahoma State. He had 24 TDs as a sophomore
for one of the best offenses in the nation, so his pedigree sure
seemed better than the fifth round.

He doesn't really care now, though.

''I've always got a chip on my shoulder,'' he said. ''That's
just the way I play the game. I always find my own motivation no
matter what it is. Somebody talking trash or it could be anything
that week. You never know.''

Randle was limited to noncontact drills for the three-day rookie
minicamp that started Friday. He has a cast on his right hand after
surgery on a thumb that was injured at Oklahoma State. But his
first weekend with the Cowboys has been as much about meeting and
absorbing as it's been about playing, so he's not missing much.

The cast will stay on through offseason workouts and a full
minicamp in June, but Randle expects to be ready for training
camp.

The 6-foot, 198-pound Randle has a similar build to Murray, and
both came from college offenses that required running backs to
catch passes and block for prolific quarterbacks. Oklahoma has had
two Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback in the past decade, but
Oklahoma State has more of a spread offense that emphasizes the
pass even more.

''How much did we pass? Every play,'' Randle said. ''So I pass
protect every play. Whatever the challenge is, I'm ready for it and
I'm going to prepare for it all offseason.''

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says Randle fits the mold of an
every-down back more than Dunbar, who impressed coaches as a runner
and was a consistent contributor on special teams. Depending on how
much he fills in for Murray, Randle could have a role on special
teams as well.

''You see quickness, explosiveness in a fairly big body, and
some versatility,'' coach Jason Garrett said. ''You think of him
first as an offensive player, and with backup players in the past,
you say, what role can they play? He certainly has physical traits
to do a lot on special teams, even though he doesn't have that much
experience doing it.''

Randle doesn't know why he slid in the draft. Brown doesn't
either, and reminds that former 2,000-yard rusher Terrell Davis was
a sixth-round pick. So was Washington's Alfred Morris a year ago.
He was the NFL's second-leading rusher behind Adrian Peterson and
played a big role in the Redskins' win over the Cowboys in the
season finale with a playoff berth on the line.

''You'd have to ask other teams that passed up on me,'' Randle
said. ''I'm going to try to remind them.''

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